Devices are known which take parts such as springs or O-rings, and the like, and separate or untangle and orient the parts in a predetermined manner, facilitating use of the parts in subsequent manufacturing operations.
The patent publication DE102008054106 describes a pneumatic parts feeder comprising a cylinder in which a vortex is induced by tangentially aligned air inlets near the lower end of the cylinder and a helical rib provided on the cylindrical wall. The vortex entrains the parts, which are thereby singularised and rise up the helical rib toward an outlet near the top of the cylinder.
The publication DE4442337 describes a pneumatic parts feeder comprising a conical bowl in which a vortex is induced by a tangentially directed air jet provided at the top of the bowl. An aperture is provided at the narrowest, lowermost section of the bowl through which parts to be fed are injected by a piston. The vortex entrains the parts, which are thereby singularised and rise up the wall of the bowl toward a tangentially aligned discharge outlet near the top of the bowl. Only the parts having a specified orientation are able to pass through the discharge outlet.
These machines have a simple, low-cost construction providing cost effectiveness and reliability, however there is a need for improvements in this technology which retain its advantages while addressing some of the operational drawbacks that have been identified. These operational drawbacks include the relatively high air flow rate required to entrain the products, and the flexibility of operation, particularly the ability to readily reconfigure the machine to feed different parts. In addition, it has been found that oversize parts, or parts which are defective (e.g. broken or deformed) or bound together (e.g. tangled), degrade machine performance and are difficult to remove. It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages or, more generally, to provide an improved pneumatic parts feeder.